1 · Learn4 of 6 · 5 min

Study a Verse

Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

Or browse by canto and chapter

Canto

Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Choose a chapter to see all its verses.

How to study this verse, in six steps

1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.

Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Canto 5 · Chapter 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe

5.19.31 5.20.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.20.1

Sthāna· The universe in order

Who is speaking and story frame

Speaking:Śukadeva Gosvāmīsince 5.20.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

श्रीशुक उवाच

अत: परं प्लक्षादीनां प्रमाणलक्षणसंस्थानतो वर्षविभाग उपवर्ण्यते ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca

ataḥ paraṁ plakṣādīnāṁ pramāṇa-lakṣaṇa-saṁsthānato varṣa-vibhāga upavarṇyate.

Translation

The great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hereafter I shall describe the dimensions, characteristics and forms of the six islands beginning with the island of Plakṣa.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Hearing the Description of Six Islands

1
Śukadeva Gosvāmī announces that he will describe six islands, beginning with Plakṣa.
2
His description will explain their dimensions and particular characteristics.
3
He will also describe their forms, giving the listener several ways to understand them.

How it feels

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Chapter 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

In this chapter there is a description of various islands, beginning with Plakṣadvīpa, and the oceans that surround them. There is also a description of the location and dimensions of the mountain known as Lokāloka.

Read the whole chapter summary Back to this verse in chapter 5.20

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

śrī-śukaḥ uvācaŚukadeva Gosvāmī said
ataḥ paramafter this
plakṣa-ādīnāmof the island named Plakṣa and others
pramāṇa-lakṣaṇa-saṁsthānataḥfrom the angle of dimensions, particular characteristics and form
varṣa-vibhāgaḥthe division of the island
upavarṇyateis described

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

Sthāna · Planetary systems
How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10
Jñāna · Spiritual insight
Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 5.20
In this verse: “understand”

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

How can I listen carefully to a description that is unfamiliar to me?

Practice

Write three headings for your study today: dimensions, characteristics and forms.

Live this todayHearing the Description of Six IslandsThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 5.20.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.

Next in Learn · 5 of 11 · 2 minAsk the BhāgavatamBring your own question. Get an answer drawn only from the Bhāgavatam's translations, with every verse shown.Back · LearnCantos & stories